Madonna leads a charge of celebrities descending on Rio de Janeiro for the city’s famously sexy Carnival starting this weekend.

The pop star triggered screams from fans as she checked into an up-market hotel on Ipanema beach with her children in tow, Brazil’s Globo news website reported.

The frenzy added to a crowd already gathered in front of the hotel because of another singing guest lodged there – Beyonce, who was wrapping up a series of pre-Carnival Brazilian concerts as part of a Latin American tour.

Other celebrities expected to show up for Carnival, which runs from Saturday to next Tuesday, include Alicia Keys and Paris Hilton, according to star-gazing website Ofuxico.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Lindsay Lohan, however, have cancelled their plans to visit, the daily O Dia says.

source: afp